Tessa's Journey
by justawriter33
Summary: Yes, yes, crappy title. But hey, hope you like the story. About a girl named Tessa that stumbles onto Camp Half-blood...and a prophecy is made. Please read and review. -Hiatus-
1. Chapter 1

**AUthor's note:**

**I'm working on two stories right now, and I was tired of them. I mean, I still wanted to finish them, but I needed a break for a second. So I drifted off into my wonderful daydreams...**

**and thought about what it would be like if Percy had a half-sister one year younger than him.**

**Meet Tessa. Girl that can shish-kebab anyone, anytime. **

Tessa had been running away from monsters as long as she could remember.

At first, it had been her and a boy named Ted, who was six years older than her. But then Ted had married and she was all alone. Of course, Ted had offered to adopt her like a child, but she preferred roaming the woods. Even if she was alone.

So she roamed the woods with only a celestial bronze dagger that she had picked up one day. It seemed to be one of the only things that could kill the monsters that stalked her daily, and she used it to defend herself. Of course, she had a small pocket knife for cutting food off the trees. As she roamed, she found a falcon with a broken wing.

"Oh you poor thing!" she said. She was twelve back then. Three years ago. So Tessa had nursed the falcon, which slowly became devoted to her and followed her around with only the feet. Even when his wing healed, he still followed her around, and even hunted for both of them. So Tessa called him Frightsome. She, of course, had read _My Side of the Mountain_, and Frightful seemed a bit feminine. She called him Fright for short, which he seemed to like.

One day, Tessa was wandering the woods with Fright at her side when she encountered a hellhound.

"Drat, I hate you guys," Tessa grumbled. "I either fight nobly and die, which I shalt not do, or I could run."

She ran.

But for some reason, the hellhound was giving a playful growl. Tessa stopped running and looked at it. The hellhound was now rolling on the floor, so Tessa hesitantly walked forward and rubbed it's belly. If it was a cat, Tessa could imagine it purring.

Then the hellhound jumped up and cleverly navigated so Tessa was on it's back. It raced around the woods with Tessa holding on for dear life.

"Whoa! Slow down!" she yelled, with Fright flying next to them. But the hellhound didn't stop until it reached the edge of the woods, where it stopped abruptly, pitching Tessa forward. She curled up into a ball and hit the ground at the feet of someone clothed in the same metal as her dagger.

The boy was staring at her and she sat up, groaning and wondering how hard she hit her head.

"Holy crap, where am I?" Tessa asked, and winced. The boy outstretched his hand and she took it, pulling herself up. "Who are you?"

"I'm Percy Jackson. You are?" Percy asked. He had bright green eyes and dark hair and was cute in an odd way, and was probably older than her, but not by much.

"I'm Tessa."

"Tessa what?" Percy asked.

"Just Tessa. I have no idea what my last name is," Tessa said, shrugging. She brushed a strand of her reddish brown hair from her blue eyes. "And on to my first question: where am I?"

"Camp Half-blood. Are you a human?" Percy asked.

"Yes, I am a human. Clearly, you are too."

"Have you been chased by monsters?"

"Have you been stalking me? Yes, I have."

"How did you get here? Did a satyr guide you?"

"No, a big hellhound dumped me here."

"Mrs. O'Leary?"

"Is she the big hellhound? Then yes. She's surprisingly nice."

"Of course she is. She's been here for two years."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen. You?"

"Fifteen. Have you been sent here to interrogate me?"

"No, I haven't, thank you very much."

"I'm not thanking you."

A pretty girl with curly, yellow hair and a tan came up. She looked like a California girl, Tessa thought, other than the fact that she had stormy gray eyes. "Hey, Seaweed Brain, bother to introduce me to your little friend here?"

"I'm not little," Tessa said. "I'm just not gigantically tall."

"I can see that," the girl said, sounding a little annoyed.

"Annabeth, Tessa. Tessa, Annabeth," Percy said. "Tessa, you're going to the Hermes cabin."

"You mean as in god Hermes?"

"Yes, I mean as in god Hermes," Percy said impatiently. "Are you going to go or shall Annabeth have to guide you."

"Please do, Annabeth," Tessa said. A smile was on her face.

Annabeth glared at (Seaweed Brain? What was that all about?) Percy and started to march away. She went to the Hermes Cabin and dragged out a guy with sandy blond hair and a mischievous smile. "Coby, show Tessa around."

"Who's Tessa?" Coby asked.

"Hi," Tessa said, unimpressed.

"Is she a Hermes?" Coby asked, squinting at Tessa. "She doesn't look like one."

"I know, but you just have to wait. Sooner or later, she'll get out of your cabin," Annabeth said soothingly.

"Hello!" Tessa said angrily. "Still here!"

"Should we dump her in the water? Maybe she should try Clarisse's electric spear," Coby said, completely ignoring Tessa. "Nico could talk to her."

"I'm not sure that she's one of the big three," Annabeth said.

Tessa snapped her teeth shut with an audible click. "Ugh. Fright!" she called, and Fright came out of the sky, landing on her arm. "Come on. We're leaving."

"You can't leave yet," someone said.

Tessa whirled around. "Oh yeah? Give me one good reason!" She searched for the person who said it.

A girl about her age, with dark hair and gray eyes tugged at her sleeve. "Remember me Tessa?"

Tessa felt like she might faint, cry, or leap in happiness. She settled for gasping in joy.

"Elle? Why are you here?"


	2. Chapter 2

**So, this is chapter number two. No, I do not own these characters. **

Tessa wiped at her eyes. "Elle? You're alive?"

Elle had been an original part of Ted and Tessa's group for about two months before she was dragged away in the middle of the night.

"Yes, I'm still alive," Elle said, squealing, and embraced Tessa. "And guess what? I'm a demigod."

"Oh yeah. Those." Tessa was not surprised to find that there were gods. After all, if there were hellhounds and dracanae, and all that crap, why couldn't the gods exist as well?

"I'm a child of Athena," Elle explained. "I don't think you are, though."

"Thanks," Tessa said sarcastically. Fright flew away from her hand, bored. "So what am I?"

"I don't know," said Elle. "The gods have to claim you as one of their own."

"Yahoo," Tessa said sarcastically. She wiped again at her blue eyes, which kept on tearing up. "We thought you were dead!"

"Which reminds me...where's Ted?"

"Ted's married," said Tessa sadly. "Met a girl in a shop, hit off with her. Last time I checked, Yolanda's pregnant. She's a nice girl, though. I approve of her."

By this time, Annabeth had reached her. "Perhaps you're Artemis's," she said thoughtfully. The sky rumbled and Tessa looked up. "Likely not. But that falcon was cool."

"Thanks," Tessa said. "Nice place, this...Camp Half-Blood," she said, smelling the air. "Any satyrs?" she asked jokingly.

Annabeth nodded. Her intense gray eyes were a bit frightening, Tessa thought. They seemed to see right through you. "And wood nymphs, nymphs, and there's Peleus, our guard dragon."

"Nice to know," Tessa said. "So, who do I shish-kebab first?"

"You don't shish-kebab anyone," Coby said, looking annoyed. He could look cute, and he was about her age, but he always had that annoyed look on his face that annoyed Tessa. "This is a Camp, not a war playground."

"I can't tell the difference, with all that metal flying around," Tessa said, pointedly looking at the sparring people. "Anyway, I've shish-kebabed loads of monsters before they exploded. Why can't I do the same with humans?"

"Because you would kill them, and then that wouldn't be good," Annabeth said sternly.

"Fine, but I want to shish kebab that guy over there. He's certainly aggravating," Tessa said, tossing a scornful look at Percy, who was watching them.

Elle leaned forward. "Uh, Tessa? Percy happens to be Annabeth's boyfriend."

Annabeth had an odd look on her face.

Tessa winced. "Wrong thing to say!" she whispered.

Annabeth laughed. "I guess that little wisecracker here has some humor after all. Yes, Percy is certain aggravating, but you can't shish kebab him. Cory, lead her to Hermes Cabin and then give her some extra clothes. You look like you've been roaming the woods for days in those clothes," she said scathingly, looking at Tessa.

Tessa's cheeks burned red. She was wearing old clothes, true, but she was wearing clean underthings at least. She tossed her head. "I have my own clothes. I'll be right back." She slid out of the little circle. Annabeth turned questioningly to Elle, but she nodded.

Tessa hurried along to her little clearing, where she yanked off her shirt, revealing her white undershirt, which was slightly see through. Good thing that Yolanda had bought her a bra as well. She tugged on a better shirt, which was the one that she used for company, a light red shirt (it faded) but her pants would do.

She whirled around at a slight sound.

Coby was standing there, his cheeks beet red. "Annabeth told me to make sure that you didn't disappear..." he said weakly. Tessa was tenfold more grateful to Yolanda, and cringed.

"Peeping Tom," she accused him and flitted away.

Her cheeks were still red by the time that she got back, with Coby apologizing with every step. Elle took one look and gave a silent laugh. Annabeth looked at Tessa's new shirt and cringed. "Did he?" she asked.

"He did. And I do not need a guard that's only fourteen years old," Tessa said haughtily, shaking off Coby.

"I'm nearly sixteen!" Coby said indignantly.

"Next time...turn away.." Tessa said and marched off to the Hermes cabin. On the way, she bumped into a boy about two years younger than her.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Nico," the boy replied. He had scraggily black hair and black eyes with olive skin. He was almost as tall as her, but was still adolescent, she could tell. "And you are?"

"Tessa. You're the Son of Hades?" Tessa asked.

"How do you know?" Nico asked.

"You reek of death. I should know," Tessa said and marched into the Hermes cabin.

The cabin grew quieter at the sight of the strange girl with the blue eyes that flashed. She was wearing a faded red shirt that had seen better days, and there was an aura of power around her that silenced everyone around her. Only Elle seemed comfortable next to her. Elle, who had stormed in with enough dignity to make people jump up in her presence. She was of middling height, but most people came away from her, thinking that she was tall.

Tessa flopped onto a bunk and groaned.

"That's Jessie's," Elle said.

Tessa flopped onto another bed.

"That's Coby's."

Tessa jumped up as if she had been electrified and flopped onto another bed. As Elle opened her mouth, she groaned. "I know, I know, this is someone else's."

"Actually, I was going to say that the bed creaks," Elle said mildly.

"I can deal with that," Tessa said, shrugging.

"I know you can. I'm just not sure that the rest of the camp can. They're a bit fiery, you know."

"Oh believe me. I know," Tessa said. She crossed the rom to stare out the window. The campers silently stared at her.

"I know."

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	3. Chapter 3

**Yeah, Chapter three of my awesomely suckish story to which no one has thought to review on. **

**Hey! Wake up people!**

**Don't you know? "Reviews are the silver lining to a stormy cloud for writers" I made that up. **

**SO REVIEW!**

**I think that Tessa is awesome. Probably you guys think that she's suckish. **

The next morning, Tessa walked into Percy with big sunglasses covering half her face.

"Whoa! Are you okay? Why...are you wearing those sunglasses?" When Tessa didn't reply, he took off the sunglasses. "Damn, you look horrible."

"You're too kind," Tessa said sarcastically.

The chatter of people had kept her up for hours last night. And when the chatter finally stopped around one o clock, Tessa had thought she would be able to sleep. But instead, the shifting of mattresses had kept her up a bit more, until about three, and then she strained her ears for the sound of trees rustling. There were none. So she went to sleep around five and woke up at eight. She had big circles under her eyes and she rubbed them frequently.

Percy dangled the sunglasses out from her reach. "Not enough sleep?" he asked.

"Yes." With that, Tessa kicked Percy's shin, hard enough that he yelped in pain and reached down to cradle it, but not hard enough to give a bruise. She yanked the sunglasses out from his hand and put it on her face again. "Would it be too much to ask for some privacy?"

"Yes, it would," Percy said. "Have you found out who you are?"

"Yes," Tessa said. "I'm Tessa."

"No, your godly parent. Come on, I'm taking you to see Mr. D."

"Who, Dionysus?" Tessa asked. Elle had appeared at nine o clock and yanked out all the tangles in Tessa's hair, and they were both surprised to see that when it was combed, the curls reached to half her waist in loose ringlets. "I've heard stories about him. Does he really have eyes that flash bright purple, a hooked nose and is very tall, very thin and very frightening?"

Percy stopped in mid step. Tessa was right behind him, and his sudden stop made her bump into him.

"Ouch!" Tessa yelped.

Percy was chuckling. "Mr. D is not like that...he is frightening, but he's not very tall, very thin...and I'll shut up right now and drag you along. Oh, and by the way? He calls me Peter Johnson. He never gets anyone's name right."

"What about his kids?" Tessa asked.

"Yeah, those he remember, like Castor, and his brother. Here we are." Percy dragged Tessa to a big house that he called 'The Big House'. Tessa looked up at the attic. "Isn't there supposed to be an oracle there?" she asked.

"How do you know?" Percy said, looking very surprised.

Tessa's eyes grew wide. "I don't know."

And it was true. It had just popped in her head and she didn't even know how she knew it. All she remembered was a throbbing in her head, as if she was from another mind. Her eyes popped open. "How's Thalia?" she asked. "Is she still with the hunters?" She shook herself. "How do I know this?"

Annabeth appeared. "Yeah. How do you know that?" She looked at Percy. "And why are you hanging out with Tessa so much?"

"She's new!"

"Then let Nico handle her."

"He stinks of death," Tessa said flatly.

"How would you know?" Annabeth asked angrily.

"Because a close friend of mine died once," Tessa snapped. At the sound of her loud voice, Fright came down from the sky and alighted on her hand. "Is there something else I should tell you?"

"Yeah. Any special talents?" Percy asked.

"No. Now, are you going to take me to Mr. D?" Tessa stormed up the big house. "Excuse me," she said to a short man entering out and stopped. There was an aura of power around the man. She bowed. "Mr. D," said Tessa respectfully.

"Finally. Someone who pays me some respect other than those satyrs," Mr. D said. His purple eyes narrowed at Tessa, who shivered. "Oh hello Teresa."

"It's Tessa," Tessa said. "Where's Chiron?" She looked around, her eyes wide and frightened. "How do I keep on knowing this?"

"Cause you have a godly parent that is very overprotective of you?" Mr. D said.

"Who is he or she?" Tessa demanded. "Do I know him? Is he a minor god?"

"You insult him," Mr. D said. "He is not a minor god. He is a very powerful one. And he broke the promise fifteen years ago."

"What promise?" Tessa asked, laughing. She looked around. Percy had a white face, and Annabeth was staring at her.

"Oh, you'll find out," Mr. D said, giving a smirk. Tessa shivered again and Fright crooned on her hand, biting a strand of her hair.

"Very helpful," Tessa said and bowed again. She marched off to the woods.

**Yeah, yeah. I wish that I had reviews, but then NO ONE IS REVIEWING!  
That makes me mad. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Short Chapter. But please review! I am very sad right now; no one is reviewing. How sad. Or shall I say, how that makes me mad. Please review! Reviews are love. **

When Tessa walked into the forest, she was instantly surrounded by nymphs and goat people...or Satyrs.

"I have a feeling that you're friends, so I'm not going to shish kebab you." A girl went up to her. "Who are you?"

"I'm Juniper," the nymph said. "You know, tree nymph?"

"Yes. I know. A tree nymph. I'm brilliant, aren't I?" Tessa grinned, but dropped her gaze as pairs of eyes gazed at her. "Why are you guys staring at me?"

"She's the one..." they muttered. "Bring her to the naiads."

By this time, Tessa was thoroughly freaked out. "No thank you," she said, twisting out of the person's grasp. She ran, and encountered a red-haired girl with green eyes with green steam pouring out of her mouth.

"Ew..." Tessa muttered.

_As demigods four lead the quest,_

_ Each one thinks that he knows the best, _

_ Three gods shall disappear,_

_ Into the lands of where and here,_

_ The half-bloods all becoming full of fear._

With that, the red haired girl staggered. Tessa caught her. "Who are you?" Tessa asked.

The red haired girl gazed up at Tessa, surprised, with almond-shaped green eyes that reminded Tessa of what Harry Potter's eyes probably looked like. "I'm Rachel." She stood up. "Is Percy here?"

Tessa was considerably startled. "Um, yeah. Here, come on." She dragged the girl along, but she was too heavy. And when Rachel tried to walk herself, protesting that she was fine, her legs wobbled so Tessa had to drag her.

"Mrs. O'Leary!" she yelled, and the big hellhound bounded up to her. "Help drag this dead weight!" She lugged Rachel onto the hellhound's back and then hung on herself. Mrs. O'Leary ran, then, and stopped just before Percy, who was polishing his shield.

"Percy! Thank goodness!" Tessa dragged Rachel off of the hellhound and Percy looked up, startled. He half-drew his sword, but then recognized Mrs. O'Leary. "There's this girl, Rachel, and she started spewing mist...and then...and then...a weird voice?" Tessa was shaken by what she had just seen. "She can't walk. And she asked If you were here..."

Annabeth raced up. "What is this all about?" she asked in a no-nonsense voice and saw Rachel. "Oh. Hi Rachel," she said disparagingly.

Rachel had gone into a dead faint on the ride, and stirred when she heard Annabeth. Her eyes opened and focused on the three heads above her. "Ooh, my head hurts," she muttered.

Tessa looked at the strip of leg above the sandals of Rachel's shoes. It was bright red. "Oh my gosh, what happened to you?" she demanded and cut off the pant legs at the knee. Her skin was bright red.

"Walking...attack," Rachel mumbled and Tessa realized that she was delirious. Tessa raced into the forest, grabbed a handful of heart-shaped yellow leaves with bright blue flowers, and then squeezed the nectar out of the flowers into a cup. She pounded the leaves with water into a paste, and made Rachel drink the nectar.

Percy looked like he wanted to hit Tessa's hand away. "What are you doing? You could kill her!"

"Please. Ted sometimes get delirious, and this always helps." Tessa applied the paste to Rachel's leg, which got cooler and drew the redness away, while the paste fell off in dried clumps. Rachel sat up.

"Gods, that was a delicious drink!" Rachel said, her eyes wide. "What on earth was it? It tasted heavenly."

"That was just nectar from a flower that makes you wake up. Very potent, and delicious." Tessa shrugged. "It's one of the only things I learned. Your leg ought to be better as well. I think that maybe a plant hit it. Perhaps the one that makes sap that damages the nerves. Fairly common."

"Wait, did you say that she started talking in a weird voice?" Percy asked. Tessa nodded. "Oh Styx," Percy cursed. "This is not good. You're not even trained! You don't even have a sword! You're not even claimed!"

Tessa frowned. "What do you mean?"

_ "I mean_, that you are officially in a prophecy," Percy said impatiently. "Now we have to make sure that the god claims you before you go."

"But who's the god?" Tessa asked impatiently.

"And that's what we have to find out," Annabeth said with a little smile. "Who's first?"

**Yeah, short chapter. But just wait till the next chapter**


	5. Chapter 5

**This it the fifth chapter. And so far...**

**NO ONE HAS REVIEWED!**

**Come on, peeps. I have like, sixty hits. Can one of those sixty hits, you know, _REVIEW?_**

**Please review. Reviews are love, and I feel very unloved right now. :C**

Tessa backed away. "No! I refuse to become your laboratory rat!"  
"We're not making you be our laboratory rat," Elle, who had appeared from nowhere, said gently. "We're just trying to help you."

Tessa looked at Elle's sincere face, and then looked at Percy's grave one, Rachel's confused one and Annabeth's hostile one. "Fine. But once the prophecy is over, I'm leaving!" she said angrily.

"I'll be Athena's representative, and Annabeth can help," Elle offered. "Um, Coby will be from Hermes, I don't think that the Stoll brothers will be much help, um, Gianna from Aphrodite, dang it, when's Thalia coming? Nico for Hades, and a bunch of others. She's obviously not one of the lesser gods, Mr. D confirmed that, and Hestia, Hera, and Artemis are a definite no. Percy for Poseidon, she's not one of Mr. D's kids or else he would call her Tessa instead of Teresa. Anyone I forgot?"

"You forgot Apollo, Demeter, and someone else," Percy answered.

Tessa had a scowl on her face.

"Hephaestus," Annabeth said.

Rachel staggered up. "I'm not supposed to be here..." she muttered. "My father's going to kill me!"

"Dang right he will," Tessa said without even thinking.

Elle and Annabeth nodded at each other, and then started to drag Tessa away. "What's the capitol of Bulgaria?" Annabeth asked.

"Dunno," Tessa said.

"Do you have a feeling that you are smarter than anyone else in the world?" Elle asked.

"No..." responded Tessa.

They continued on grilling her

"She's not Athena's," Annabeth confirmed.

"I could have told you that," Tessa mumbled. "I'm not smart."

"Yeah, we figured that out," Annabeth told her. "Nico!"

Nico raced over, looked at Tessa, and rolled his eyes. "Forget it. She's not a Hades kid."

"Well!" Tessa said, putting her hands on her hips. "That is rude, I admit, but I am willing to forget about it as soon as I get out of here!"

She was passed from person to person, who all quizzed her and tried to figure out her power until she tore away and bumped into a white rock. "Ouch!"

"Are you okay?" the white rock asked.

Tessa slowly raised her eyes upward.

The white rock...was not a white rock. It was a man with a brown beard and hair, with wise eyes. He had a human torso, which was smoothly grafted to a white horse body, with hooves and everything.

"Chiron..." Tessa mumbled in awe.

Percy raced up. "Tessa, you can't just run away!" he yelled. "Oh, hi Chiron. The oracle spoke through Rachel and made a prophecy...to Tessa. And she hasn't been even claimed yet!"

"I don't want to be claimed! I don't even want to be a freaking demigod! What's wrong with my life, roaming the woods?" Tessa stomped her feet, something that she normally would be very embarrassed to do.

"Nothing's wrong with it," Chiron said comfortingly, shooting Percy a look. "But once a prophecy is made, it lasts forever. You must complete the prophecy, or it shall chase your heels till death do you part."

"That sounds like something from a marriage," Tessa said, wrinkling her nose. "And I'm fine with the prophecy, but I just don't want to be a demigod!" She ran off again... and bumped into something else. "Oh crap!"

"Very foul," Coby said as he helped her up.

Tessa wrinkled her nose at him. "Oh, hi Tom."

"My name is not...oh, you still haven't forgiven me?" Coby asked. "Well, I can deal with that."

"You'd better. And I'd better not be Hermes," Tessa threatened.

"Well, let's see."

Ten minutes later, Tessa was sitting on a bench with Coby next to her, near a river. "See that guy?" Coby whispered. "His wallet is sticking out of his pocket. Try to steal it."

"What? No!" Tessa said horrified. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "I won't! I only stole when I was hungry, and I am not hungry right now!" Something touched her hair and her eyes jolted open. "What was that?" she asked, running her hands through her hair. Nothing happened, so she looked accusingly at Coby, who mumbled something about not being guilty and she wasn't Hermes, which was fine by her. "I'm never going to find out which god is my parent, am I?" she asked depressingly.

"I don't know..." Coby said.

Tessa glared at him. "That isn't helping."

"You asked, I answered," Coby protested. "I was just being nice."

Tessa screamed. "Empousai!"

Coby whirled around.

A beautiful young woman wearing a dress that was cut off near her mid-thighs, stepped out of the woods. "Why hello, Coby," she said in a throaty voice. She had long golden hair and green eyes, with the smell of roses and animal fur, which was all too familiar to Tessa. Tessa had killed two of them before with Ted.

"Oh crap," Tessa whispered.

Coby seemed to think that the young woman was alluring, and Tessa didn't blame him. But he was about to be killed. "Back away!" Tessa said warningly, taking out her bronze dagger. The empousai snarled.

"Oh come on. How about a kiss?" she protested, but the color was already leaching out of her skin, turning it dead white. Her eyes were red and her hair flame-colored, one of her leg was a donkey's, and the other was made out of metal.

Coby turned to Tessa with a dazed look. "Who are you?"

Tessa slapped him. "Man, I've wanted to do that," she spat.

Coby looked at Tessa with a look of barely contained fury and something else, and swung his sword, the empousai dodged and hurled itself at Tessa, who screamed and fell back. She dug her dagger into the shoulder of the empousai, which snarled and yanked it out. Tessa looked at it and saw that the celestial bronze had melted into a puddle of celestial bronze on the dagger. She nearly dropped it, but the bronze had melded itself to her hand. She groaned, and slowly, it started to peel away from her skin.

The empousai scratched Tessa's arm with one claw, gouging deeply, and Tessa yelled in pain. Coby stabbed the empousai on the back and the metal melted again.

"It's like it has armor!" Tessa screamed. Blood was running down her arm, making her dizzy. Percy and Annabeth were running towards her. She looked at the celestial bronze dagger...

and thrust it into the empousai's mouth. The metal melted, but ran down into the empousai's stomach, making her explode into sand. Tessa swayed and fell into the river. The water was cool against her skin. She felt slightly refreshed.

"Tessa!" Coby yelled and dragged her out. Immediately, she felt tired again and she swayed.

"Put me back," she moaned, yanking her hand out of his grasp. She stumbled into the river, the water swirling up to her thighs. She felt better, and the long scratch on her arm started scabbing over.

"Oh damn," Percy muttered.

"What?" Tessa asked, confused. All the campers were running to see what all the commotion was about. They were all staring at her head. Chiron galloped up. She looked up. The blue insignia of a trident was above her head.

One by one, everyone kneeled. Except for Percy, who was looking at her with something like horror.

"Daughter of Poseidon. Earthshaker. Lord of the sea," Chiron pronounced.

Tessa fainted in the water.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter six, everyone. Please read and review.**

Tessa woke up in a white-swathed room.

Evidently, she was in a hospital place, because nymphs were busy taking care of wounded people. Percy was staring at her with an odd look on his face, and Coby was next to him. Guiltily, Tessa noticed that there was a reddening mark on his face where she had slapped him.

Percy offered a weak smile. "Hey little sister."

Tessa sat up so quickly that her head spun. "Sister?" The events from the last hour rushed back into her mind. "Damn. I thought that was a dream."

Percy had clenched fists, and his green eyes were angry. Tessa knew how he felt. To feel like you were the special one from someone, someone who always treated you like you were higher than him, and then suddenly have someone else that he would treat the same, that was how she felt when Ted suddenly had Yolanda. Hurt. She gave him a comforting smile.

Coby rubbed his cheek. "Drink," he said, pointing at a all glass of amber liquid. Tessa eyed it.

"Is that beer?" she asked warily.

"No, it's the drink of the gods," Percy said wearily. Tessa shot him a suspicious look. He was telling the truth, she could see.

Tessa took a sip, and her eyes opened wide. It tasted like chocolate with raspberry and caramel filling. Something that she had tasted once in her life, and loved. It was warm and comforting, and she drank it up. The warmness ran down her spine, refreshing her and making her nearly giggle. She never giggled, and the feeling was odd. She touched the glass. There was ice in it, and Tessa frowned. Didn't she just have a warm drink?

She rose from the bed. "Where's Elle?" she asked. "Where's Chiron. I want to go. Now."

"You can't go to the quest right now!" Percy objected.

"I never said I want to go to the quest," Tessa said icily. "I said I want to go. Now. And no one fed Fright."

"No one wants to feed Fright," Coby muttered. "He bites."

Percy shoved Tessa back onto the bed, where she sat, frowning. "You can't go," Percy said seriously. "Anyway, you've been moved to the Poseidon cabin."

"Yahoo," Tessa said angrily. She shoved Percy aside and went outside.

Outside, no one talked to her. They all shoved each other in the attempt to get out of her way. All but Elle. Elle rose when she saw her friend and jogged over to help. "Oh, well, at least you have a quest."

"I don't want a quest, Elle," Tessa said, and kicked a rock. "I want to go away. Roam the world. Fight monsters-which I can't do, thanks to that freaking empousai. My dagger melted."

"Then we have to get you another one," Elle said promptly. She took ahold of Tessa's wrist and dragged her past the cabins, past staring people, past the archers, past the swordfighters. Past naiads, obstacle courses, a lava climbing wall? She passed the woods, Mr. D, who yelled. "Hey! Emma! Stop and bow!" to which she bowed to him, past satyrs, and finally, to a place that smelled of smoke and hot metal.

Tessa went into the room. Nothing stopped when she came in, which was a relief. She took a dagger from the wall and frowned. It felt off-balance. "This doesn't feel right," she said.

A boy went up to her. "Hey Tessa. You're in need of a sword?"

"I fight mostly with a dagger, but I dabble in swordwork," Tessa said, shrugging.

"Try this on for size," the boy said, handing her a long dagger that could almost pass for a sword. Tessa held it in her hands.

"I like it," Tessa said after a while. She swung it around in the air, but nearly dropped it because of it's extreme weight. "Oof. Not the right one."

"Damn right it isn't," the boy said, and kept on offering her swords and daggers. Finally, Tessa shook her head. She fingered a necklace made of a sharp stone. "What's this?" The stone was crystalline, with a sharp tip and the chain was of pure silver that was very beautiful. She held it up and the stone sparkled in the filtered sunlight.

"Well, Thalia came a couple of months ago and gave us this. Said that it's supposed to become a sword, but none of the Hunters like it. But no one knows how to use it.

Tessa held the stone lightly in her palm, and pulled on it gently, idly. The tip came off. "Oh crap."

The boy turned to her. She gasped. The stone was growing in her hand, the stone becoming celestial bronze and becoming a longish dagger, like the sword dagger that was too heavy. But this one was light and beautiful. And well balanced. She swung it around, and it was like it melded with her.

"I see you have found it," a low voice said. Chiron clattered into the forge. "I would beware, if I were you. Artemis might not like it that Poseidon's daughter has her dagger."

"Hmm," Tessa muttered. "Well, that's cool if she doesn't mind. Come on Elle. You have to teach me how to get out of here."

Chiron frowned. "I don't think that is wise, Tessa."

"Yes, I think it's wise," Tessa snapped. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go," she said, marching away.

Elle stayed there next to Chiron. "She's not usually like this," she said, worried.

Chiron looked even more worried. "I'm afraid that if she doesn't embrace the fact that she's a demigod, she may die."

"We can't let that happen!" Elle said.

"Which is why you have to make sure that she survives," Chiron pronounced.

"I will," Elle promised.


	7. Chapter 7

**Short chapter. Sorry. My brain hasn't really been working, because there's a heat wave right now, and it's making me blister. Madly. Ugh. But now we have the AC on and I feel slightly better. **

**IF YOU DON"T REVIEW, I SHALT BE MAD.**

Tessa raced down the meadow, wiping angry tears from her eyes. She scowled as people raced out of her way until she slammed into Percy. She fell down, ignored his outstretched hand, and kept on running, the crystal-dagger bouncing against her chest. She looked at it. When had it gotten there? Seconds later, she felt a hand yank her back.

"Ow, let go of me, you jerk!" she said angrily, and turned to look into the gray eyes of Annabeth. "Oh. Um, I didn't mean that."

"I'm sure you didn't," Annabeth said cooly. "You cannot keep running away from your destiny. You were meant to be a demigod, and for such, you must be."

Tessa blinked, rather confused. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "You're starting to sound like one of those shows that are all hippie and wise that I don't like. They're full of crap. Anyway, I ran from Chiron and Elle. Why can't I keep running for the rest of my life? It's not like I haven't done that for six years."

"That makes exactly no sense," Annabeth pointed out. She seemed to be a bit more friendly now that it was cleared up that Tessa was Poseidon's daughter. "Come on, it's high time that someone introduced you to people. Thalia's here." She grasped Tessa's upper shoulder with a vice-like grip and dragged the reluctant girl along. Tessa looked longingly at the forests.

A girl with black hair emerged from the shadows. She had a shirt that showed a worm strangling a mole, for some unknown reason, and black skinny jeans. The silver circlet on her head looked completely out of place.

"Hey Annabeth," she said. "Who's this?"

"She's Tessa," Annabeth said. "Daughter of Poseidon. Tessa, meet Thalia. Daughter of Zeus."

Tessa didn't know whether to bow or run away. The girl was barely a year older than her-by her appearance, but she had a smirk on her face that showed clearly that she was much older than she looked. She looked so powerful that Tessa wanted to bow in honor, yet there was an aura of fierceness about her that made Tessa want to run away screaming.

She settled for waving.

Thalia waved back sarcastically. "I dearly hope that you are nothing like Percy. Who's your mother?"

Tessa shuffled her feet. "My mom's dead. A hellhound killed her when I was six. That's why I ran away."

Annabeth and Thalia exchanged looks. "We did that too-ran away. I met Luke, and a few months later, we picked up Annabeth," Thalia explained. "Except Luke turned out to be a dirty lying snitch."

"Not when we were traveling together," Annabeth said indignantly.

"Hm," Thalia said disgustedly.

"Are you sure that only celestial bronze can kill monsters?" Tessa asked, feeling very small.

"Yes, why?" Thalia asked.

"Because I was fighting an empousai today, and when we tried to kill it, the celestial bronze melted. We only just escaped by thrusting my dagger down it's throat."

"Interesting strategy," Annabeth mused. "But how?"

Percy jogged up. "Bad news. Python, Tityos and Niobe have escaped."

"Who are those?" Tessa asked.

"Python is the dragon that Hera sent to kill Artemis and Apollo." Thunder rumbled in the sky. "Tityos is the giant that Hera sent. Niobe is the woman who boasted that her fourteen children were better than Artemis and Apollo. When she died, she was turned to stone, and for some reason, now she is almost like Medusa. When she touches someone on their skin, they turn to stone. She's working with Tityos and Python to kill the gods, as if that was possible." Percy's bright green eyes were worried. "I thought all that evil was done when we defeated Kronos."

"Python!" Tessa said, shaking. "That must be it. The fire from the dragon is making the daggers melt."

"But how is that possible?" Percy asked.

"I don't know," Tessa said. "But somehow, I know."

"That makes absolutely no sense!" Annabeth declared, shaking back her wavy hair.

"I know it doesn't!" Tessa said angrily. "But somehow, it does to me."

"Whatever," an Aphrodite girl said. "All I know is that Tessa needs to get like, new clothes. Or more clothes. Chiron suggested it to me, and like, I agreed, like, totally. What if I, like, steal her away for like, maybe three hours?" She turned to Tessa with a smile, her long flowing reddish gold curls framing a perfectly lovely face. "I'm Julie, hon. You're the famous Tessa, and if you want to look famous, you're coming with me."

Tessa let Julie whisk her along.

They went to Abercrombie. They went to Hollister. Forever 21. Gilly Hicks. They bought clothes."

"How do you _pay_ for all of this?" Tessa asked, amazed.

Julie waved a credit card in the air. "My father's a billionaire. He can pay for anything." She gave a light laugh.

By the end, Tessa had three huge shopping bags full of everything. She went to the Poseidon cabin and peeked in.

Percy was staring at the ceiling from his bunk.

Tessa went into the bathroom and changed into an old shirt and pants that she used for sleeping. She went to a bunk opposite from Percy's and curled up into her sleeping bag.

"Good night," she heard Percy whisper from her bunk.

"Night," she told him back. Her half-brother.

Does that meant that she was allowed to play pranks on him?


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry that this took so long! Please read and review. Reviews are love, love is more updates and more updates means more reviews! Yay yay yay yay yay!**

Tessa woke up the next morning and dressed in luxurious new clothes. Percy was still mumbling and (drooling?) tossing in his sleep. Her gray tank top and dark jeans were not the top of fashion, true, but they were a far cry compared to her worn out shorts that used to reach to half past her shin, and her red blouse that was faded and had a hole in the sleeve. She frowned and tugged on the crystal-dagger, which tapped against her exposed collarbone. So she tugged off the tip and it grew in her hand, becoming the dagger. She threw it away and sat down under the tree.

She played with the crystal again. The tip had appeared again. Tessa scowled.

Someone tapped on her shoulder. Tessa sighed. "Oh. Hi, Coby."

"I'm supposed to be your teacher," Coby said lazily.

"Wondrous," Tessa said sarcastically.

"What does that even _mean_?" Coby asked.

"It means that I am so happy that you are my teacher," said Tessa dryly.

"That's not good," Coby said.

"No, it isn't. Can't I have like, a girl?"

"No."

"Dang."

Coby and Tessa fought that day, with the swords. To make a long story short, Tessa lost. Badly.

Tessa held a pack of ice to a bruise on her shoulder that flowered under her skin. "Ouch," she said grimly as they sat down with some food. She whistled and Fright came out of the sky, apparently waiting. He was sleek and fat from all his gouging, his feathers glossy, but he accepted the nip of meat that Tessa held out for him. With a chirrup, he launched himself out into the sky again.

Coby watched, an open look of amazement on his face. "He is a beauty."

"I know he is," Tessa said breezily, brushing a lock of her hair out of her face. "I found him, you know, with his wing broken."

"And..."

"And I nursed him back to health. What, were you expecting a long dramatic story about how I saw him being abused and knocked someone out to rescue him? No, I didn't. Some things in life don't have to be that extravagant, you know."

"Oh, I know," Coby said placidly. That was the thing that Tessa hated the most about him-his calmness. He never got over excited.

A boy walked up. "I hear that you're the new girl," he said cheerfully. "I'm Jake."

Tessa stood up and shook his hand. "Tessa," she said.

"Who?"

"I'm Tessa," said Tessa with a light laugh. She brushed off her gray shirt, feeling very self-conscious. Something about his light eyes made her want to giggle-and she never wanted to giggle. How odd. Her lips twisted into a smile.

Another boy walked up. "I'm Taylor," he said. His dark, stormy eyes made Tessa wary. "Taylor Preston, son of Hestia."

"And the only one," Coby cracked.

Taylor shot him a glare.

Chiron clopped up with those hooves of his. Tessa looked up. "We have decided," he said solemnly.

"Decided what?" asked Tessa.

"Who you shall go with on the quest."

Tessa leapt up. "Fine."

Chiron led her away.

The entire camp was there, waiting. Percy and Annabeth had matching looks of frustration on their faces, and several others had angry looks. Tessa ignored the stares and instead stared at a pine tree behind everyone so that it looked like she was looking at the crowd...but she wasn't.

"We, as in the leaders of the cabins, have decided who shall go on the trip." Chiron said dramatically. Tessa rolled her eyes. "Tessa. Coby. Taylor. Elle."

Tessa's mouth dropped open. "_What?_"

Elle's mouth dropped open as well. "COOL!"

"Not cool!" Tessa said frantically. "Not cool at all!"

"You shut up!" Taylor said. "I didn't want to be included!"

"I'll go then!" Annabeth said.

"Me too!" Percy said angrily.

"No," Chiron said, his eyes tired. "That isn't possible."

Annabeth and Percy started arguing again.

"SILENCE!" a deep voice said.

Tessa looked around. "Who?"

A man with a stormy beard with eyes like lightning was there. He held a celestial bronze cylinder in his hand. Percy cursed in greek.

"The lightning bolt," Tessa heard Annabeth whisper.

"So. Poseidon broke his word twice," Zeus said angrily.

"Yes, he did. So what?" Tessa dared ask.

Zeus's eyes flared. "We had A VOW!"

"The prophecy is over, o Lord Zeus," Chiron dared say. "She is not a danger."

"Says you..." Zeus said. He clapped his hands and Tessa averted her eyes as he changed into his true form and disappeared.

"Sooooo dramatic," Tessa grumbled. "That's it. I'm outta here."

"Do you _really_ have to go?" Jake asked with a charming smile.  
Tessa stared at him with half lidded eyes, her face a carefully constructed mask of boredom. "Yes. I do. First it turns out I'm an illegal child, then Zeus apparently hates me...and why on earth would I not have to go?"

"The quest..." Chiron said.

"Forget it!" Tessa said angrily.

"Accept it," Thalia said.

Tessa quieted. Thalia scared her. "Fine. I accept it...and now I need to go."

"Where?"

"Somewhere other then here!"

"Soooo dramatic!" Coby claimed.

Percy seemed to be concentrating.

Tessa stormed off to...where else? The woods. It was the only place that she willingly knew where to go, and she hoped that no one would be there.

She was wrong.

"Hullo!"

Tessa had been comfortably resting in the hollow of a tree when someone greeted her behind her. So she squeaked and fell forward, her hair falling over her face and her foot dipping in the water. So she threw the creek at the person.

"Bla-ha-ha! We satyrs don't like drowning," that somebody said, sounding very irritated.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not used to BEING STARTLED!" Tessa spat. "Who are you?"

"Grover," the satyr said simply. "Percy wanted to make sure that you were okay."

"I don't need a guard," Tessa spat again. "I'm perfectly fine!"

"Sure you are," Grover said irritatingly.

"Yes. I am," Tessa said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go pack for my quest."

Grover gave a bow. "Of course."

Tessa stormed away, angry at herself for giving in to everyone so easily. She was miserable, and proud of it.

Not exactly.

**Okay... I admit that this was one of the crappiest chapters yet...**

**but no fear! She has now accepted that she is a demigod. **

**I hate zeus...**

**AHGHHHHHH! **

***author turns to cinders***


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey! SOOOOO sorry that I haven't been writing on my stories lately-skewl just started and boy am I sick of it. Already. How depressing. **

**Anyway, this chapter has Coby's POV from third person in it, but this is probably one of the only times I'm going to put it in. I have the entire story mapped out in my head...yeesh, do I have to write all of it?**

**Haha, joking. Please read and review. LOVE YA!**

**Special thanks to Jhakasi for being a true supporter!**

Tessa packed all her clothes early that morning. To her utmost relief, they fit in a backpack, but she left some of them in her cabin just in case her backpack burned or something. Nico, being a sweet boy and a son of hades, wished her luck. He was an awfully nice guy for someone who was the son of someone so violent and depressing and well..._dead_.

Percy on the other hand, looked upset and was whispering with Annabeth and Jake, who all had similar expressions on their faces. Taylor just looked bored and was leaning against the wall with his long dark hair falling across his face. Elle looked excited and was gripping Tessa's upper arm so hard that it hurt, and Coby was nervously picking at his shoulder straps.

"Stop it, you're going to ruin the backpacks," Tessa ordered Coby. Taylor was legally old enough to drive, and he had a license, so he had bought a car about three months ago, before Tessa had even came, and he was going to drive them around and about. All they knew was that they were trying to find out who the missing gods were, since the gods wouldn't tell them. Thalia knew that Apollo was missing, which wasn't good, and she knew because Artemis had been driving the sun chariot for the last few days. But the others were unknown, so Tessa was going to risk the chance that Zeus would blow her up and was going to Mount Olympus. Percy had warned her that Zeus hated people traveling by plane.

And apparently, Poseidon had been hiding in his underwater palace. So Tessa was going to go there after.

It was a long shot. But she was willing to take it.

So the campers bid them farewell and they took off in the car.

Taylor was a very good driver. He was about a year older then Percy, who Tessa was having a hard time believing that he was her half-brother. Tessa yawned.

"Tire much?" Coby asked.

"That doesn't make any sense," Tessa said grumpily. "I didn't have a very good sleep last night." She had been listening to the sounds of the waves, which emitted from a conch shell in the corner. Her greatest sadness in leaving camp half-blood was that Frightful was there. She was going to miss him. Everyone had been telling her that there might not be a chance that she would get back, to which she scowled and told them to shut up and go away or she'll punch them in the face. To tell the truth, she didn't want to hear that either. Every time someone told her that, her heart raced and she felt like the blood was pounding in her ears. And it was not a pleasant feeling.

They drove and drove. Tessa fell asleep and her head fell against Coby's shoulder. She woke up later, but kept her eyes closed.

"She's better looking when she's sleeping," she heard Coby say.

"No, she's pretty when she wears a dress," Elle insisted.

"Does she wear a dress?" Taylor asked, obviously amused.

"No...but I can make her," Elle said slyly.

"No, you can't," Tessa said, her eyes still closed. Coby shifted and Elle gave a muffled giggle. Taylor gave a low laugh. "So shut up, the lot of you, and concentrate on the quest."

"She's right, you know," Taylor said.

Tessa opened her eyes and sat up. Her black hair had somehow tumbled out of it's ponytail and she shifted in her black jeans and shadow-gray shirt. "Ugh. Where's my freaking comb?"

"It's with your freaking friend," Elle said cheerfully and handed Tessa her clip. Tessa clipped her hair back. "Anyway, we're nearly there."

Tessa was suddenly awake. "How are we going to pay for the hotel?"

Elle chortled. Coby snickered. Taylor gave a light laugh and waved a green card in the air.

"When Annabeth and Percy went on their first quest-" there was a slight bump where Tessa was sitting as if someone had moved. She slowly turned her head. "-they went to the Lotus Casino and got these cards. Annabeth had kept hers and lent it to me."

"Indeed," Tessa said in an odd voice. "And are you sure she lent it to you?"

"Yes, quite sure," Taylor said in an offended voice.

"Then why is she, Percy and Jake in the TRUNK?" Tessa spat. "Come out, you."

How Tessa had known was that the car seat next to her was slightly ajar, so that there was a small crack in the top that connected to the trunk. Someone had spoken through the crack, and she had seen a slight shifting in the dim light. Slowly, as she ordered them to come out, someone from the trunk pushed in the seat and Annabeth climbed in, followed by Percy and Jake. Tessa scowled at them. "If you hadn't moved when he was talking about the Lotus card, you wouldn't have given yourself away."

"And what a pity that would have been," Jake mused. He pushed his light yellow hair out of his eyes, he was a son of Apollo. "I was suffocating back there, if anyone's interested," he added.

"No, no one is," Taylor said in his dark voice. Tessa saw that he was looking at them in the rearview mirror. "What we are interested in, however, is the fact that you, Annabeth and Percy are in the trunk."

"It's a pretty spacious trunk," Annabeth volunteered.

Elle scowled. "But there are seven of us and this car only holds five. Two have to go back on the trunk-"

"Or Annabeth can sit on me," Percy joked.

Annabeth squashed him.

That left Jake. Elle frowned. "Okay, Tessa, sit on Jake."

"WHAT?" Tessa and Jake both yelled. "NO!"

"Fine. I'll sit on Tessa, and Jake will be in the front." Elle grinned.

"But what if a police officer like, I dunno, pulls us over?" Percy asked.

"Yeah, and what if he asks why five people are sitting in the back?"

Tessa grinned like a cat. "We'll tell him that it's not nice to make fun of two-headed people."

They laughed until the hotel.

The hotel was spacious and beautiful and they all had their own hotel rooms. Tessa stepped into hers and gave a sigh of wonder. Her own bathroom, her own bed, a TV all to herself-it was amazing!

Percy had told her that the child of the Sea God had amazing power over any water. She wanted to experiment. So she took a shower.

Once the water touched her skin, she knew what he was talking about. She could will it to do anything for her, and she could mold it like clay. So she commanded the water to untangle her hair and wash all the grime off of her skin without even having to lift a finger. And when she shut off the shower, the water streamed out of her skin and hair and into the water drain, leaving her completely dry and clean. Her hair shone and her skin was soft, the years of grime swept away with a magical shower that did what would have taken weeks to accomplish.

Someone knocked on her door. "Hello? Can I come in?" It was Jake.

Tessa yelped and thudded out of the shower. "No! I'm not..." she searched for a word, "decent!" There was a muffled laugh. "Coby, stop laughing!"

Tessa threw on the first things she could find, her under clothes and then she slipped on a black shirt with dark blue pants. She wore mostly dark things. Her silky hair reached almost to her waist, and crackled, so she tied it back and opened the door.

Jake and Coby stepped in. Their eyes widened as they took in her changed appearance. She was sparkling clean.

_Coby's POV from third person_

Tessa looked amazing, more then she usually did, Coby thought. Her long black hair was tied into a loose ponytail and her lovely blue eyes were sparkling. They had a tinge of green in them. Coby lowered his eyes, trying not to stare. But Jake was staring, unabashed. He had the reputation of being a flirt.

"Oh, hi," Tessa said, and Coby looked up. She still looked lovely. Of course, Coby had met many pretty girls, but in a pastel, light colored way. But Tessa was as dark as the night, the only thing that protested her dark look was her pale, pale skin. She considered herself tanned, of course, but she was really quite fair. He blushed as he remembered that time in the woods where Annabeth had told him to follow her and he saw...well, that. "What's up?"

"Where are you guys going?" Jake asked promptly, still staring at her. Tessa glared at him.

Coby thought about how incredible it had felt to feel her head resting on his shoulder, look at her peaceful face. Right now, that face was disturbed by the slight frown and her eyes confused. "Why couldn't Coby tell you?" Tessa asked.

Coby looked at Jake. Jake looked at Coby.

"Uhh..." Coby said.

"Umm..." Jake said.

To tell the truth, they had just wanted to see her. Both thought that she was like a goddess, though they would never admit it.

Tessa smiled and shook her head. "Okay, so you two are undoubtedly fairly stupid. I won't judge you for that. Come on in."

Tessa stepped inside and unrolled a long, yellowed map. "Elle found this in the Athena cabin, crammed under a bunkbed." She pointed with a long finger at two places. "Poseidon's palace, which is currently being repaired, and Mount Olympus is where we are going. Of course, there are some parts where..." She frowned and gazed off to the distance. "There are some parts that don't make sense."

"What parts?" Jake asked, leaning just so his shoulder touched hers. To Coby's delight, Tessa frowned at him and scooched away, stabbing at the map with her nail.

"Like this. Elle swore that it hadn't been there before, but here it is."

Coby bent over it, and realized that Tessa was now right next to him. Her hair draped over her shoulder and brushed his shoulder. "Um, it says:

_Hestia was born of flame, _

_ Apollo born of laughter. _

_ Poseidon hides in spiraled shells,_

_ Dragons breath. Giants stir. And stone can breath once more._

Tessa stamped her foot. "It doesn't make any sense!"

"I know it doesn't," Jake said, and placed his hand on Tessa's shoulder, to Coby's outrage. And to fuel the fire, Tessa looked at Jake's hand, but didn't move away. "But we have to figure it out."

"I know we do," Tessa snapped at him. "That doesn't mean that I have to be happy about it, doesn't it. Now get your hand of me before I break it!"

"She had spunk," Jake said, but took his hand off.

Coby took a deep breath.

Tessa looked at him. "You okay?"

Coby shrugged. "Yeah, I'm okay.

They continued on reading the map until it was dark, and then Tessa bid the boys goodnight and Coby left, stunned. He frowned and walked away to his room, where he crashed on the bed and slept into a stupor until Tessa knocked on his door in the morning and demanded that he wake up. Now.


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry about the slloooooowwwww update, I was like, busy, and then I had like, writer's block. Why am I saying 'like' so many times? GRRRRRR...**

**Please Read and Review.**

Tessa banged on Coby's door. They were going to check out at twelve, and even though they had a Lotus Cash Card, she didn't feel like staying for another night while she could go to her quest.

Finally, she leaned against the door and checked her Itouch, something that Annabeth had bought her. True, she had used her Lotus card, but the thought was nice.

Coby opened the door. Tessa fell.

"Ouch!" she yelped.

"Oh my gods, are you okay?" Coby asked, looking very alarmed.

"Like you care," Tessa growled, picking herself up.

Coby looked injured.

Tessa brushed off her black jeans and an unflattering shirt with a high collar. A daughter of Aphrodite would sneer at it. It wasn't that she cared about her clothes, it was just something that someone regular would do. As most people would say when feeling particularly irritated, she had waken up on the wrong side of the bed.

First, her hair had been irritable and she had to stick it in a ponytail, but little strands kept on wafting down and flying in her face. Then she had stubbed her toe, cursed fluently and jumped around like there was no tomorrow. And now, on top of all things, she had fallen and hurt her bum.

It was rather exhausting.

"Sorry," Tessa mumbled. "Just...get up and pack your stuff." She left before he could say another word.

Tessa brushed the hair out of her eyes and went to meet the rest of her friends. Percy and Annabeth were arguing fiercely, but seemed to be on the verge of laughing and making up...with a few kisses. Jake and Elle were whispering together, and Taylor was jingling his keys, looking annoyed.

Oh yes. They were a suave bunch.

Once Tessa got closer, she heard what Percy and Annabeth were saying to each other.

"We _have_ to drop by!" Percy said. "She said that if we ever happen to be close, we should say hi!"

"Not when we're on a quest!" Annabeth said angrily.

"Yes, when we're on a quest! She's my mother, Annabeth."

"I _know_ she is, Percy, but that simply isn't the point. We have a deadline."

"What deadline?"

"I know!"

Then Jake was whispering into Elle's ear and she was getting redder and redder until she backed away, saying, "you dirty prat!"

Tessa decided that Jake was an odd duck.

But his fair hair swept across his face in a way that made her blush slightly, and his eyes smoldered. Really! They burned slowly.

She blushed and looked down at the ground.

Elle finally managed to notice Tessa. And when she did, the first thing she said to her friend was, "My lord, Tessa! What the hell are you wearing?"

Tessa looked down at her shirt. "Oh yeah," she mumbled.

"Why don't you ever wear bright colors?" Elle asked nosily.

"Because I just don't, that's why," Tessa mumbled again.

"Well, you should," said Elle decisively.

Coby arrived, with a pack slung over his shoulder. Annabeth was holding up her hands, and sighed. "Fine, fine," Tessa heard her say.

What were they talking about?

Not the fact that Tessa pissed Zeus off, apparently, but something else. Percy was looking triumphant, and Taylor nodded in agreement.

"Everyone...we're taking a detour," Percy announced.

Taylor nodded. "Yes, we are," he said.

Tessa frowned. "To where?" she asked.

"Um..to my mother's house," admitted Percy.

Tessa gave a faint smile. How funny. "So I finally get to meet the mother of my half-brother," she said softly. Percy looked stricken, and confused, but then thoughtful. It apparently hadn't occurred to him that Tessa was now his half-sister. Which was rather odd, seeing that it was all that Tessa had been thinking about for the past few days.

"Anyway," Tessa continued uncomfortably. "When shall we get the honor?"

"Um, in five minutes," Taylor said.

"Five minutes?" Tessa asked, laughing. "But that's not possible, with your car."

Taylor held up his keys. They were shiny and new.

Tessa paled.

…

"I'm not a fan of cars," Elle breathed. "But that is awesome."

They were looking at a shiny black van.

"It isn't _just _a van," Taylor said with a smirk. He stroked the Lotus Cash Card. "I love you," he said feelingly.

Tessa rolled her eyes.

"What's so special about it?" Coby asked.

"It's bullet proof...and wait till you see the inside," Taylor said.

Tessa scrambled to be first.

Inside, it was like a limo. There was a mini fridge, and leather seats around a table, with a book shelf (much to Elle and Annabeth's delight) and when Tessa opened the fridge, an assortment of foods and drinks.

"This," Tessa started.

"Is," Coby continued.

"Totally," Percy breathed.

"Awesome!" Elle squealed.

Annabeth was flicking through the books. "_The Da Vinci Code_, by Dan Brown, and _Harry Potter_, _Fortune's Magic Farm_, all in Greek! This is awesome!"

Elle rushed over to look at the books as well.

Tessa flopped onto one of the seats and found a remote. "What's this?" she asked, and not waiting for an answer, pressed on one of the buttons. Immediately the lights dimmed. Annabeth and Elle turned around, looking annoyed, but their faces lit up. Percy and Coby whooped. Jake smirked. Taylor laughed. A plasma TV was coming out of the wall. "OMG!" Tessa said excitedly, and pressed more buttons. A hidden closet opened, displaying crisp clothes.

"How much was...all of this?" Annabeth said excitedly.

Taylor shrugged. "They were supposed to lend it to me, but when I offered thirty thousand dollars...they cracked. I bet I could remodel my house with this," he said, pointing at the card. Annabeth tucked it away.

"This is mine," she said, "for when I get older. Go ask Percy for his, if you want."

Percy looked embarrassed. "I think mine is somewhere in my house. I know Grover has his for a fact. But it's his."

Taylor threw up his hands. "Fine!" he said.

Tessa laughed.

Taylor hired a random person to drive. At first, the person declined, but when he was told how much he would be paid, he took it eagerly. And they traveled in this kind of comfort. Tessa searched through the clothes and scowled at what she found. All of them were brightly colored, but at the back, she found a slim black dress that would come to her knees and would fit tightly. Searching some more, she found a black shawl and some pearls. Looking around, she tucked them into her bag. Who knows what would happen?

"This place is rad," Taylor said eagerly.

Finally, they stopped where Percy directed them, and Taylor paid the man. Percy rang the doorbell, and a woman appeared.

She had soft brown hair and eyes that were tired, but happy. "Percy!" she said, and hugged him tight. "How are you, my baby!"

"Mooooommmmm," Percy moaned.

"Oh, fine," Ms. Jackson said. "Paul's inside, but he'll be glad to see you."

As they walked inside, Tessa moved closer to Percy. "Who's Paul?" she asked discreetly.

"Oh, he's my stepdad," Percy said casually.

Tessa froze, and affixed a smile on her face. She had heard that steps were horrible and mean, but maybe he was an exception."

Percy looked back. "Oh, come on, Tess." Tessa bristled at the nickname. "He's nice!"

Tessa shrugged and kept on going forward.

Finally, they reached an apartment. Percy had obviously used the Lotus Cash Card at some time, because it was spacious and airy. Sally Jackson hugged a man, who was reading a book. Tessa squinted and the words floated off the cover. She scowled.

"Paul," Sally said with a smile on her face. "These are Percy's...friends." She gave Percy a sidelong look, and Percy nodded. "They're...half-bloods."

Paul looked up and smiled. "Hello," he said cheerily.

"I have brownies," Sally said. "Do you all want some?" Without waiting for an answer, she ushered them into the dining room. "Sit. I'll have them ready in a jiffy." She disappeared into the kitchen, where they could hear her clanging around.

"Your mom's cool," Tessa said. "I've never had a brownie..are they any good?"

Percy smiled. "My mother makes the best ones. Or the best chocolate chip cookies. You've never had one before? You have to taste one! It's like eating heaven."

Tessa frowned. "I don't think I want to eat clouds."

Annabeth cracked a smile.

Sally came back with a bunch of blue squares that smelled delicious, and a pile of plates. "Here," she said, and went into the living room, to let them have some privacy.

"Thanks Mom!" Percy called. He and Annabeth started to eat. The rest stared at them. The brownies were a violent shade of cobalt.

"Are they supposed to be blue?" Tessa asked.

Slowly, Elle shook her head.

Percy laughed. "Oh, yeah," he said. "My mother and my first step-dad had a fight about whether junk food, like cupcakes, candy or such could be blue. He disagreed. She said they could. Ever since then, she's been making blue stuff like this. They're really delicious."

Silence fell across the table. Finally, Tessa sighed and took one. "There's a first time for everything," she said, and took a bite.

Warmth exploded across her tongue, with a chocolaty goodness. Her eyes opened wide as the sweetness filled her up, the warmth spreading across her body. Everyone was watching her, even Percy and Annabeth.

"Well..." Percy said eagerly, eating his own.

Tessa's only reply was to gobble down her brownie and take another one.

Soon, Elle and Taylor were taking one, and eating them, looking astonished. Then Coby and Jake did. Each of them murmured in delight and the plate was quickly finished. Tessa was still filled with warmth. "I think I'm in love," she murmured. "With the brownie."

"You think those are good? Try her cookies," Percy chuckled. "But not now. We have to talk."

"Haven't we been doing that for the past day?" Elle cracked.

Taylor gave a slim smile. "Amusing as that is, we have to discuss the quest. Or are you too afraid?"

Elle shut up.

Tessa brandished the long yellowed scroll that she had shown Jake and Coby the night before. "Last night, Jake, Coby and I were looking at this, and we found a rhyme. I have been thinking about it, and I think that it's about our quest." Slowly, she pointed at the untidy scribble in a child's handwriting and read it out loud.

"_Hestia was born of flame, _

_ Apollo born of laughter. _

_ Poseidon hides in spiraled shells,_

_ Dragons breath. Giants stir. And stone can breath once more."_

"I'm not sure, but I think that it's talking about the three missing gods," Tessa said.

"Indeed," Annabeth muttered. She, alone, had been smart enough to save a brownie, and now everyone was eying it hungrily as she took small bites of it, Tessa especially. Percy just looked at it once, looked at Annabeth, rolled his eyes and continued.

"We won't know until we get to the Empire State Building and Poseidon's palace," Percy said plaintively. "I have a half-brother there that'll show us the way. If not...I have a few other ideas."

Tessa suddenly turned cold. She looked away and bit her lip.

"What about Hestia and Apollo?" Annabeth burst out. "They might not be missing."

"You heard it yourself that Artemis has been taking over the sun chariot for the past few days," said Percy grimly. "And I haven't seen Hestia for a while."

Taylor looked confused. "When have you seen my mother?"

Percy shrugged. "She's the little girl with the brown clothes that's always tending the fire," he said.

Taylor turned pale.

"Anyway..." Tessa said seriously. "What if this mission is a fluke?"

Taylor, Annabeth and Percy looked at each other. Obviously they had been discussing it without the rest of them.

Annabeth was the one to speak. "We've talked about it, and the prophecy says...well, maybe I shouldn't tell you."

"If you don't tell us, I'll wrestle it out of you," Tessa said solemnly. "And I'm very good at wrestling."

"There are four boys and three girls," Annabeth said after a quick smile. "The prophecy clearly stated that '_As demigods four lead the quest/ each one thinks that he knows the best_,' and we think...because only one demigod's supposed to lead the quest...that three of the boys are going to die."

**Ooh...I wonder who's going to die. **

**Oh, wait-I know! Cause I'm the writer!**

**ha ha ha ha ha!**

**_Percy punches me in the face. _OW!**

**"That's for making me scared," Percy said. **

**Urgh. I hate my charecters. **

**AHHHHHHHHHHHH. THEY"RE COMING AFTER ME!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Yay! Here's the eleventh chapter...I think. Am I correct?**

**Please read and review! Thanks to Jhakasi for helping me with the last chapter. :D**

Tessa started to hyperventilate. "No. No..."

Everyone gave her strange looks. Apparently, they were all used to the idea of death.

Tessa shook her head. "You...don't understand. I'm...not very used..." It was all coming out wrong.

Coby furrowed his brow. Jake sneered, and Tessa glared at him. He was starting to get on her nerves.

"Well I hope I don't have to die," Taylor cracked. "I do have a girl waiting for me at home."

Elle laughed.

Percy frowned. "We're not certain of it, you guys. It's just that we've been discussing it, and it seemed like a likely...thing."

"Thing?" Tessa cried, jumping up. Everyone looked at her, surprised. "Death is not a joke!"

"Gee, Tessa," said Elle softly. "We're all used to it."

Tessa took a deep breath. "Yeah. Sorry. I'm to paranoid. Yeah, I know."

"You're not that paranoid," Taylor offered. "You're just mad."

Tessa raised an eyebrow. "Mad as in crazy, or as in furious?"

Taylor raised one finger.

Tessa groaned. "Yeah, that."

"I never knew you had a girl," Jake said to Taylor. "Who is she?"

Taylor shrugged. "I don't know yet," he said, obviously lying. Tessa wiggled her eyebrows at him and he rolled his eyes.

"Well, I guess we have to set off," Percy said regretfully.

Sally Jackson hurried in from the kitchen with a basket. "I brought more brownies for your trip," she said. "Along with some chocolate chip cookies."

Percy started to drool.

Annabeth beamed at Mrs. Jackson or Mrs. Blofis, whatever, and took the basket gratefully. "Thank you," she said. "Now come on Seaweed Brain."

"Kelp for a Head, Seaweed Brain, you just keep on insulting me, don't you," Percy mumbled.

"Kelp for a Head was invented by Thalia," Annabeth informed him.

"Yes, but you use it sometimes," Percy laughed.

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

Tessa looked at them curiously. In all the books that people had read to her, the perfect couple joked around with each other, but never fought. "Is this normal for them?" she whispered to Coby.

"Yeah, it is," Coby said cheerfully. "Why do you think their relationship is so strong?"

Tessa kept on staring.

So they bid goodbye to Ms. Jackson and Percy's stepdad, and set forth. Tessa slept this time, and she found it interesting that the seat became a bed with a couple of adjustments.

She was rudely awaken when there was a bump.

"What the Hades?" Percy sputtered.

Taylor leapt up.

Tessa put a protective hand on her crystal and drew the dagger out of it. Everyone jumped at the sudden appearance of the glowing metal knife.

"I'll check it," Tessa said, already leaping out. She dreaded what she would find. A monster. A chimera. A giant pink flying pig (something that Percy had been telling a story about).

Instead it was a puppy.

Tessa wrinkled her nose at it. "Um, good dog?" she said. It was a very cute thing, but she didn't adore dogs after one bit her on the hand. The dog barked and ran into the van, where everyone started to coo at it. She came after it. "False alarm. The driver just stopped because he didn't want to run over it."

"Well that's good!" Elle said. "It's the most freaking adorable dog in the world."

Tessa still had her dagger out. The puppy whimpered.

Annabeth rolled her eyes at Tessa. "Oh put that thing away. You're scaring it!"

"Let's name him Buddy," Elle said excitedly.

Tessa started to sputter as she put the tip of the sword back into the crystal. It slowly shrank and became once again part of the crystal. "Buddy? You have got to be joking me! That is undoubtedly one of the _most_ UNcreative names that I have ever heard. Everyone calls their dog Buddy! It's so common!"

"Yes, but doesn't he look like a Buddy to you?" Elle asked innocently.

Tessa blinked. "No," she muttered, but no one payed any attention to her.

So she slept again.

She finally woke up again when they came to a stop at the Empire State Building. It loomed above her as she straightened her clothes and tucked away the strands of hair that floated around her face. Elle and Annabeth were doing the same things, while the boys just stared at them. Elle rolled her eyes and Tessa smirked. _Boys_, she thought. _So unconcerned about their appearance._

Percy and Annabeth went straight to the security guard. "We need to go to the 600th floor," Annabeth said without prompt. Tessa could have killed her. What if the security guard didn't know?

The security guard rolled his eyes and stifled a yawn. "Sorry kid. No can do."

Percy dragged Tessa forward. "Do you know who this is?" he asked.

The security guard shook his head.

"Erm, Percy?" Tessa asked weakly. "I don't think anyone knows who I am except for Camp Half-blood."

Percy ignored her. "This is the daughter of Poseidon. I am a son of Poseidon."

The security guard's eyes grew wide behind his sunglasses. "No..." he whispered.

Percy nodded. "Yes. And if you don't let us go...I'm fairly sure that between the two of us, we can conjure something big enough to attract the gods."

The security guard fairly tossed the card at them. "Make sure no one's in the elevator with you," he said. His eyes narrowed. "Hey, wait a second." He pointed at Tessa. "You called him Percy. Are you...Percy Jackson?"

Percy smirked. "Why yes, yes I am."

They waited in the elevator where Madonna played Material Girl. Tessa laughed at the look on Coby, Jake, Taylor and Percy's face.

"Just so you guys know," Taylor said awkwardly. "Artemis hates me."

"Why?" Annabeth asked, trying to hold a squirming Buddy.

"Because...I sorta kissed one of her hunters," Taylor mumbled.

Tessa's eyes widened. "And she didn't kick her out?"

"No, because I was the one that kissed her, and the hunter slapped me," Taylor said. He looked away.

"I'll keep that in mind," Percy mumbled.

Annabeth glared at him.

"What?" Percy asked.

"Nothing," Annabeth said quickly. She was still holding the basket, and Tessa was eating from it. The brownies were too delicious to resist.

Finally, they were there.

"It's...beautiful," Tessa breathed.

"It is?" Annabeth asked, frowning. "I think that I was rushed."

"You-you designed all of this?" Tessa asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Because it's absolutely amazing."

They went down to the palace, where a cow-serpent was there. "Hey," Percy said absent mindedly, and the cow-thing mooed in delight.

Tessa quailed.

The Olympians were all looking at her.

"Um..." Tessa winced.

Poseidon was holding his head proudly.

Percy nudged her forward. "Bow to Zeus first, and then kneel down at Poseidon's feet."

So Tessa did that.

"You lied. Twice," Zeus rumbled.

"I did not," Poseidon said protectively. "Just like Hades did, I put Tessa into the Lotus Hotel."

"You..did?" Tessa asked. All of the gods shot her a look and she looked down at the ground. Some how, she knew that she wasn't supposed to say that.

Percy looked at her.

"What year is it?" Annabeth asked Tessa gently.

Tessa looked up. "2010 obviously," she said.

"That's correct..." Percy said. "Who's the president?"

"Barack Obama," Tessa said promptly. "I can remember everything from age eight, you know."

"Okay...but are you sure that you never went to _any_ hotel before?"

Tessa scrunched up her face. "No..."

"I washed her mind clean," Poseidon muttered.

Tessa's head snapped up. "_What_?"

Percy elbowed her and she quieted.

But she was still plenty mad.

The way some of these gods were looking at her-it made her furious. There was one particularly beautiful god that was looking at Percy and Annabeth with a knowing smile on her face that made Tessa smile. And there was a god with a scarred face that was looking at Tessa with a cruel smile, until his eyes went to Percy and flared. The smirk on his face disappeared into a scowl.

Tessa thought that he was rather frightening.

"But...why is one seat empty?" Tessa asked quietly.

"_WHAT?"_

Tessa quailed, something that she was very embarrassed to do, under Zeus's fierce glare. But she stole another look at the golden throne that shone like the sun. "Why is Apollo not here?"

Before she could stop herself, she also said, "Hestia is gone, isn't she?"

The change with Zeus was almost indescribable. His eyes flared at he became angry. "Yes, she is, child."

"Mother..." Taylor said sadly.

"Yes, your mother has disappeared," Zeus spat. "And Poseidon has spawned another beastly creation-pah!"

"Hey!" Tessa cried, and clapped a hand over her mouth. Poseidon rolled his eyes. It suddenly struck Tessa that Poseidon had black eyes. "Are his eyes usually black?" she asked Percy.

Percy's green eyes grew wide. "No..." he muttered. "Oh styx.."

"What's so styxe?" Zeus snapped.

"The fact that that abominable creature there is not my father!" Percy cried, his eyes flashing. All eyes turned to Poseidon, who shrunk.

When Zeus spoke, his voice was dangerously low. "What are you?"

Poseidon began to cackle, and started to melt into an oily black puddle. Tessa gave an exclamation of disgust and leapt backwards as the puddle oozed it's way to the form. "Kronos may be gone, but he still has minions," the puddle said, and sank into the ground.

Zeus gave a noise of disgust.

Percy was staring at the empty throne, his face ashen. Tessa waved her hand in front of his face, but nothing happen. When he spoke, his voice creaked and he had to lick his lips two times and swallow before they could understand what he was saying.

"They have my father."

**I'll give you a cyber-cookie if you review. Please? Plz? Pwease?**


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